Moses makes a Vince Lombardi speech seem in comparison like a speech class final presentation gone horribly wrong. This is especially remarkable because when God first called Moses at the burning bush, he thought at the most he was an ineloquent babbler (Exodus 4:10).
While Deuteronomy spans 34 chapters, the essence and heart of his speech is summed up in Deut 7:6-12. In fact, this is a great summary of practically God's entire dealing with Israel in the whole OT:
6 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.
7 The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. 10 But
those who hate him he will repay to their face by destruction;
he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him.
11 Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today.
12 If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors.
The pep-talk was absolutely needed, because Israel had just come off a 40 year loosing streak wandering the desert. A season marked by rebellion, complaining, fear, faithlessness, smiting from God of various sorts, fumbles, interceptions, blow-outs, shut-outs, missed field goals, dropped passes, and sacks. Israel was "0-for". Deut chp 9 is the pathetic scouting report of Israel's 40 years, explicitly stating that taking possession of the promised land had nothing to do with the righteousness of Israel (Deut 9:4-6). To the contrary, Moses brings out the laundry list of their failures, and vs 7-29 reads like a rap sheet:
--provocation of the Lord (vs 7, 18)
--rebellion (vs 7, 23, 24)
--wrath-arousing (vs 8)
--idolatry (vs 12)
--sin (vs 16, 18, 21)
--evil deeds (18)
--wickedness (vs 27)
--stubbornness (vs 27)
Many times both Moses and God call them a stiff-necked people (vs 6, 13) which is a great quality for a linebacker, but not so much for the chosen people of God.
[An important aside: before we proudly say to ourselves, "Glad I'm not like them" remember that Jesus suffered and died for our sin and rebellion too. Our own necks can be stiffer than a Louisville Slugger.]
Nevertheless, Moses is pumping them up because now it's time to cross the river Jordan, enter the promised land, and conquer 7 nations that are "larger and stronger" than Israel (Deut 7:1). They have "large cities with walls up to the sky" and the people are Anakites (picture Mixed Martial Arts monsters jacked up on 'roids! Deut 9:1-2).
This is the Sedro-Woolley little league Pop Warner C Team taking on the Yankees. At Yankee Field.
Except for one thing, God Almighty is playing for Sedro. Check out Jehovah's Topps baseball card:
Batting average: 1.000
Pitching earned run average: 0.00
Fielding errors: 0
Missed games: 0
Strike outs: 0
Home runs: each swing of the bat
Years played in the majors: all eternity past, present and future.
Steroid allegations: 0
Moses knew that if the Israelites kept the Lord on their team, they would be undefeated. By being faithful to the commands and covenant with God, they would be wildly successful in battle (Deut 7:17-24), blessed with large families, fruitful in their crops and animals, free of disease, showered with material blessings, and soaked in God's love (vs 13-15).
Moses' battle cry to rouse the Israelites against their enemies rings out in Deut 7:21, 24
Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God... No one will be able to stand up against you. You will destroy them.
The same principle applies to Christians today. Our enemies, both the Prince of this world and our sin nature, are seemingly insurmountable. At times it appears we are greatly overmatched. But in Romans 8:31-39, Paul delivers an epic halftime locker room talk that mirrors the one by Moses. This just rocks:
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[a]
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The key thing to remember is that we do not prevail by our own strength, effort, or work. Jesus is the one who gave 110%. Jesus left it all out on the field. By His blood, sweat and tears we earn the victory. At the end of the day, He gets handed the game ball and all the glory. In fact, he's already won. We just get taken along for the ride in the victory parade.
Alright, everybody huddle up, hands in together. On three....ONE, TWO, THREE! DO THIS THING!!!!!!
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